Prevention better than litigation
Wynn Macau Limited is on the lookout for “fraudulent online gambling and investment websites” using not only the Wynn name but other notable business names in the jurisdiction.
In its interim report, the Hong Kong-listed casino operator said these websites aren’t shy about trying to fool customers by using actual logos and the trademarked names of known businesses.
“We do not offer online gambling or investment accounts,” Wynn announced. “Websites offering these or similar activities and opportunities that use our names, such as ‘Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A.’, ‘Wynn’-related trademarks, including our marks for ‘Wynn Macau’ and ‘Wynn Palace’, or similar names or images in likeness to ours, are doing so without our authorization and possibly unlawfully and with criminal intent.”
According to CalvinAyre.com, the company is “actively reporting such websites and pursuing legal remedies,” but also said litigation “may be costly and may not be successful in protecting and preserving the status and value of our intellectual property assets.” Wynn Macau operates both the Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace resorts.
In August, Mainland China police conducted a sting of an illegal internet gambling ring operating out of Jiangsu Province. They reportedly arrested 56 people connected to the “transnational” operation which had generated about $1.1 billion. In a separate bust in the same province, police arrested 63 people suspected of involvement in the operation of five gambling sites that were using trademarks of SJM Holdings’ New Lisboa Casino and Sands China’s Venetian.
On September 5, Macau’s Official Gazette announced that two Caesars subsidiaries, Flamingo Las Vegas Operating Company LLC and Corner Investment Company LLC, had applied for trademark protection of the Cromwell and Flamingo brands.
CalvinAyre.com reported that in 2012, Caesars lost its legal battle a Thai massage parlor that registered the Caesarsentertainment.com domain before Caesars attempted to do so.
